N.O. Fracas Over Plans to Raze Housing

[951-Riverside]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Protesters angry about the pending demolition of more than 4,000 public housing units stormed a City Council meeting Thursday in a confrontation that ended with a prominent civil rights lawyer being hauled off in handcuffs.

Thursday's fracas was a taste of what's likely to come as former residents of the aging, neglected buildings and their advocates seek to stop demolitions that could begin as soon as Dec. 15 in a city that faces an acute housing shortage.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development plans a wholesale redevelopment of the city's public housing by tearing down the old barracks-style buildings and replacing them with mixed-income neighborhoods. A federal judge and Congress have refused to stop the demolitions.

About three dozen protesters gathered at the City Council chambers to demand that the council's members step in. But when the council took no action, the protesters broke into chants and shouts and forced Arnie Fielkow, the council president, to call the session into recess.

In the ensuing chaos, a sheriff's deputy grabbed and shoved civil rights lawyer Bill Quigley up against the wall, where he was handcuffed. Quigley has led a legal fight against the demolitions.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KATRINA_PUBLIC_HOUSING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-12-06-20-32-23

[uppityperson]

1. k&r for democracy

[struggle4progress]

2. Attorney Arrested At Public Housing Protest

... Witnesses said police suddenly yanked aside Civil Rights attorney Bill Quigley, who was standing by the door, pushed him against the wall and took him away to receive a citation for disturbing the peace.

“We live in a system where if you cheer or chant in a city council, you get arrested,” Quigley said. “But you can demolish 4,500 people’s apartments and everybody seems to go along with that. That’s not going to happen." ...

Demolition is scheduled to begin on Dec. 15.

The Housing Authority of New Orleans said it will work with residents still in the buildings to help find them places to live before the bulldozers roll.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/14793720/detail.html

[NorthernSpy]

3. I have a really bad feeling about this...

:kick: